Self-adjusting posture-improvement brassiere attachment



Nov. 14, 1961 H. K. WILLIAMS 3,008,458

SELF-ADJUSTING POSTURE-IMPROVEMENT BRASSIERE ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 19, 1960 INVENTOR HELENE KRA VADZE W/ L L/A Ms FY75 BY WSW ATTORNEYS 3,008,468 SELF-ADJUSTING POSTURE-IMPROVEMENT BRASSIERE ATTACHMENT Helene Kravadze Williams, 2132 R St. NW., Washington, D.C.

Filed Jan. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 3,336 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-426) The present invention relates to shoulder braces that urge and maintain the shoulders in a correct, desired position, and has particular reference to improved shoulder braces that attain their effective result by being attached to portions of a conventional brassiere serving as a strength or supporting member.

The invention also seeks to provide a novel combination of elements that cooperate to perform a more effective posture-corrective device being capable of effecting greater leverage upon the positioning of the shoulders into a comfortable, graceful and attractive position.

In the prior art of shoulder braces and bust supporters, arrangements have been conceived in which the posture has been sought to be corrected to at least some degree by providing jackets fitted together with complex lacings, straps, fastening devices, etc.

None of these prior art devices have yielded in any way any apparent base or supporting structure to receive and support the bust, as well as to provide tensioning members that tend to stress or urge the shoulders into a correct posture position. Particularly there is not known of any combination of elements for providing bust support without interference of shoulder tensioning. It seems that the prior art is replete with devices that cooperatively uplift the breast as well as down-pull the shoulders. This is found to have tiring effects upon the wearer of such devices, so that the device does not yield at all its intended result in posture correction to the wearer. In addition these prior art devices clearly are known to be harness-type structures that do not lend appeal to the wearer, or the device per se.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an attractive and simple construction for a shoulder brace and bust supporter.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a brassiere performing its conventional function and to additionally brace the shoulders without in any way affecting the supporting force that perform the function of the conventional brassiere.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a brassiere and shoulder brace in which the shoulder brace is secured to the back of the brassiere in such a way that the function of the brassiere is unchanged, yet the effective function of the shoulder brace is dependent on its being secured to the brassiere.

It is another object of the invention to provide a shoulder brace and bust supporter to utilize the maximum leverage available in correcting the posture of the shoulders by directing the shoulder brace to act through a point as remote as possible out on the shoulder and yet maintain the shoulder brace from slipping or sliding off of the shoulder.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a shoulder brace and bust supporter that is attractive, effective in its desired result, comfortable, simple in construction and in wearing, and yielding a graceful appearance in the posture of the wearer.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a posture-pedic brassiere,

These as well as further advantages which are inherent in the invention will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

re States Patent 3,008,468 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a rear perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 shows one of a pair of posture-corrective straps in plan view as it connects onto a rear portion of a brassiere shown in phantom lines;

FIGURES 4 and 5 show a portion of one of the posture-corrective straps that engages the area of the shoulder cap with means for retaining the respective brassiere shoulder straps in place in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 shows -a plan view of a fastening arrangement for disconnecting the attachment from the brassiere.

Referring now to the figures, there is shown a conventional brassiere 10 having pockets 12, 14, and a pair of shoulder straps 16, 18. The forward end of each of the shoulder straps connects with an upper portion of one of the pockets. Each of the straps extends over the shoulders of the wearer and is connected at rear portions 20, 22 on supporting bands 24, 26 of the brassiere.

The brassiere 10 is shown as worn by the wearer in the usual manner. The rear portions 20, 22 of the brassiere terminate in a coupling or fastening means 30 of any conventional type well-known in the art.

A pair of wide posture-corrective strap 32, 34 of muslin, or similar strength yielding fabric have one end sewn or stitched to the rear portions 20, 22 of the brassiere. The straps 32, 34 extend upwardly and forwardly to pass over the proximate shoulder caps of the wearer. The shoulder cap is the area adjacent the intersection of the laterally projecting part of the body and the vertically extending part of the body where the arm joins the trunk.

The strap 32 stitched to the right portion 20 of the supporting band 24 passes over the right shoulder cap of the wearer and crosses at the back of the wearer to the left side and thence around the waist to the front of the wearer and below the brassiere. Similarly, the strap 34 is stitched to the left portion 22 of the supporting band 26 and passes over the left shoulder cap of the wearer. At the back of the wearer, the strap 34 crosses over to the right side and then around the waist below the brassiere.- The straps 32, 34 are constructed sufiiciently wide along the length of the straps as the straps pass along from the rear portions 20, 22 over the shoulder caps. After the straps 3-2, 34 pass over the shoulder caps, the width tapers downwardly so that the straps pass and turn .easi-ly around the Waist without wrinkling or creasing and form a smooth surface against the wearer. The straps are sufliciently wide at the shoulders to cover the shoulder caps.

At the shoulder caps of the wearer at least one tuck or dart 36 is constructed in the material to form a transversely curved contour portion of the straps to allow the straps to be positioned securely onto the shoulder caps. The dart is an angular or pie-shaped cut 38 made along 'the portion of each of the straps 32, 34 that passes over the shoulder cap. The angular cut is sewed or stitched along its edges to form a slight substantially conical surface that conforms to the surface of the shoulder cap.

The construction of the posture-corrective straps may be formed of either single or double thicknesses of material. [n the preferred form of the invention the straps are of double thickness of muslin that is folded and cut straight along the texture of the material rather than along a diagonal or bias thereof.

FIGURE 3 shows the strap 32 formed of a fabric folded along an edge 40 to comprise a double thickness of the fabric. Along the longitudinal edges of the fabric, stitches '42 form the material into a single-piece strap. At the 3 shoulder cap engaging a portion of the strap, an angular, or pie-shaped cut 38 is made to form the dart 36.

The wide ends of the straps are secured onto the rear portion 20 of the brassiere by stitches 44 (FIG- URE 3).

The remote ends of the straps 32, 34 are connected or fastened together by fastening means 50 similar to the fastening means 30, but capable of sustaining additional stresses. Thus, it is feasible to use two or more fastening elements in the fastening means 50 to maintain the tension and secureness of the straps 32, 34 in position over the shoulder caps. The fastening means 50 may be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of various wearers, and is an expedient well-known in the art.

There is an elastic portion 52 to provide some adjustability in the length of the strap 34.

The shoulder straps 16, 18 of the brassiere are held in place adjacent the portion of the straps 3 2, 34 passing over the shoulder caps by straps 56, 58, one of which is shown in FIGURE 4, or by a pair of button hole slots 60 shown in the strap 32 of FIGURE 5.

The shoulder straps 16, 18 passing through the straps 56, 58 or corresponding buttonhole slots are found to provide a securing characteristic in retaining the straps 32, 34 from falling or sliding oif of the shoulder caps.

The end of the strap 32 that is connected by fastening means 50 may include several sets of eye members 56' and one set of hook members (not shown) on strap 34. The eye members allow substantial adjustment and fitting of the attachment on the wearer so that the attachment may securely fit the wearer. In the event that the wearer does not need all of the end length of the strap 32, it is possible to provide rows of hemstitching 58 perpendicularly to the length of the strap 32 between each of the sets of eye members 56. When there is an excess in the length of the strap 32 that is not needed by the wearer, the excess may be eliminated by cutting through a row of hemstitching which then provides a non-ravelling picot edge at the correct length of the strap. This adjustment in the length and fitting of the brassiere attachment is hereby achieved.

It has been found that forming the wide posture-corrective straps 3-2, 34 with at least one dart in the portion that passes over the shoulder caps, and in connecting one end of the straps 32, 34- to a rear portion of the brassiere while the other end of the straps 32, 34 passes along the back portion of the wearer, provides maximum leverage in the posture-corrective brassiere attachment that is self-adjusting to allow substantial freedom of movement in wearing the attachment, and yet yield a graceful appearance in the posture of the wearer.

In FIGURE 6 there is shown in detail a preferred fastening arrangement that provides for disconnecting the attachment from the brassiere or foundation undergarments with which it may be used. FIGURE 6 shows an end of the strap 32 having loops 7 0' secured thereto by appropriate stitchings. In each of the loops there is provided a metallic or plastic clip 72 that has an outer portion forming a hook 74. Each of the hooks 74 engages respective connecting loops 76 that are arranged to receive the hooks. Two of the fastening means are shown connected, while the third is shown disconnected and illustrates the details of the fastening means.

It will be thus apparent that the new apparatus is useful in achieving the greatest amount of correction in the posture as effected by the position of the shoulders since the tension or force applied to the shoulders is at the shoulder cap, providing a lever arm of greater length and movement than available from any corresponding forces applied at any other point along the shoulders.

A further advantage is that the posture-corrective straps are retained from falling off of the shoulders even through they are positioned to pass over the shoulder straps.

One of the more specific advantages of the attachment is that substantially great freedom in movement is provided the wearer in using the brassiere attachment. The brassiere attachment does not aifect the use of the brassiere, and the brassiere does not diminish the eifectiveness of the brassiere attachment.

It should be understood, however, that the specific apparatus herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as many changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-adjusting posture improvement brassiere comprising a pair of breast pockets adapted for supporting and shaping the breasts of a wearer, a pair of shoulder straps each having a forward end secured to and extending from an upper portion of a respective one of said breast pockets, a supporting band adapted to extend rearwardly from the lower portions of the breast pockets around the body of the wearer to terminate in ends, coupling means at the ends thereof to secure the supporting band firmly in position, said pair of shoulder straps having rearward ends secured near to the ends of the supporting band, a pair of posture-improvement straps also secured near to the ends of the supporting band and adapted to extend upwardly and forwardly to pass over the proximate shoulder-caps of the wearer, then pass downwardly of the back of the wearer to cross each other at the midportion of the back, and thence pass and extend further continuously around the waist of the wearer to terminate in ends, connecting means at the said ends of the posture-improvement straps, said ends of the posture-improvement straps being connected by the connecting means under tension at the front of the wearer spaced from said breast pockets, so that the tension thereof is adapted to cause substantial exertion upon the shoulders in a rearward and downward direction to thereby effect an improvement in the posture of the wearer.

2. The self-adjusting posture-improvement brassiere of claim 1, including at least one dart along the width of each of the posture-improvement straps to adapt the said straps to be secured to the shoulder caps of the wearer.

3. The self-adjusting posture improvement brassiere of claim 1, including a retaining means on each of the posture-improvement straps to secure the lateral position of the shoulder strap to the posture-improvement strap.

4. The self-adjusting posture-improvement brassiere of claim 3, wherein said retaining means is a loop.

5. The self-adjusting posture-improvement bnassiere of claim 3, wherein said retaining means is at least one slit through which may pass the respective shoulder straps.

6. The self-adjusting posture-improvement brassiere of claim 3, wherein said retaining means are two slits adjacent each other through which may pass the respective shoulder straps.

7. A self-adjusting posture-improvement attachment including a brassiere having a supporting band extending rearwardly of the brassiere, comprising a pair of posture improvement straps secured onto rear portions of the sup porting band and extending upwardly and forwardly to pass over the proximate shoulder-caps of the wearer, then passing downwardly of the back of the wearer to cross each other at the midpo-rtio-n of the back, and thence passing and extending further continuously around the waist of the wearer to terminate in ends, each of said straps having a transversely curved-contour portion when in an undistorted and relaxed condition thereby shaped to engage and receive the curved contour of one of said shouldercaps where said strap passes over the proximate shouldercap, said ends of the posture improvement straps having means at the front of the wearer to be connected under tension, said connection means being positioned also below said brassiere, so that the tension thereof is adapted to cause substantial exertion upon the shoulders at the shoulder-caps in a generally rearward and downward direotion to thereby tend to effect an improvement of the posture of the wearer.

8. The self-adjusting posture-improvement attachment of claim 7, including at least one dart along the curved contoured engaging portion of each of the posture-improvement straps wherein the said straps are adapted to be secured to the shoulder caps of the wearer.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

